Deadly Russian strikes kill 25, Ukraine reports

Ukraine reported at least 25 people were killed and dozens more injured in overnight Russian strikes, including 16 in a Zaporizhzhia prison as well as a pregnant 23-year-old woman, according to France 24 via the Associated Press on July 29th.

The attacks came just hours after reports suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin was open to peace talks with Ukraine.

The Kremlin denied responsibility for the prison bombing. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted, “The Russian army does not strike civilian targets.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had been advocating for renewed peace talks, rejected this statement. He wrote on social media, “It was a deliberate strike, intentional, not accidental. The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians in that facility.”

Peskov had also reportedly “taken note” of new warnings from US President Donald Trump, who had issued a new deadline for Russia to end its invasion or face additional sanctions. He added that Moscow remained “committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and secure our interests”.

A senior Ukrainian official said the Bilenkivska correctional facility in Zaporizhzhia housed 274 inmates and employed 30 staff members. The source confirmed there were no Russian prisoners of war at the site.

Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets labelled the prison strike as further proof of “war crimes.”

The Associated Press interviewed over a dozen individuals—including survivors, investigators, and relatives of the victims—who pointed to evidence indicating Russia’s direct responsibility. An internal United Nations assessment reportedly reached the same conclusion.

In addition to the prison bombing, Ukrainian air defences reported intercepting 32 out of 37 drones and two missiles launched by Russian forces overnight. These attacks included the bombing of a hospital in Kamyanske, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which killed three people, including a pregnant woman. Separate strikes in the eastern Kharkiv region killed six more, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, Russia reported a Ukrainian drone strike in the southern Rostov region that left one person dead.

Fighting has intensified along the front lines as Moscow presses a summer offensive. Russia’s Defense Ministry continues to report territorial gains, including the capture of two Ukrainian villages, one in Donetsk and another in Zaporizhzhia.

France 24 via Associated Press, Maghrebi.org